845Life: Young collector from Central Valley believes in making connections

Sunday

Feb 21, 2016 at 4:04 PMFeb 22, 2016 at 12:27 AM

Alex Prizgintas is a fascinating, multi-talented young man.

He is quickly becoming an expert on local history and regularly gives lectures to historical societies.

And he’s only 15.

He is an outstanding musician, equally adept at playing Beethoven on the piano as classical pieces on the cello.

And he was just selected to All-County Orchestra as first chair on cello.

He is also a world-class collector of old-time milk bottles, Borscht Belt items, small-scale trains and historical bricks from roads and buildings.

And he has Asperger’s syndrome.

“I never knew anything about that until it was pointed out to me,” says Alex. “I thought everyone saw things my way.”

Alex was born at Middletown’s Horton Hospital in 2000 and has lived his entire life in Central Valley. He is a sophomore at Monroe-Woodbury High.

Although he didn’t start speaking until he was 4, he has certainly made up for lost time.

At a ripe young age, he is a trustee of the Woodbury Historical Society and a member of the Ontario and Western Railroad Historical Society; the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors; the New York, Great Lakes and Catskill Railroad Association; the Hudson Valley Bottle Club and many more.

In the past year alone, he has lectured to the Erie Lackawanna Society, the Cornwall Historical Society, the Orange County Historical Society, the Chester Historical Society and the Monroe Historical Society.

His house is a veritable museum: Dozens of historical milk bottles line the walls, model trains are in display on all three floors, railroad signs cover the walls, several tables are filled with ashtrays and keys from various long-ago Catskill resorts - and cellos can be found in almost every room.

“Collecting is all about making connections,” say Alex. “The clubs I belong to all have collectors. So it’s all about clubs and trading.”

His most prized possession?

“This A.J. Abrams Dairy bottle from the 1920s,” he says, reaching high up to grab it. “Did you know there used to be over 2,000 dairies in Orange County? Now there are just 40.”

How much is it worth?

“Maybe $60 to $100, but prices are coming down on collectibles pretty rapidly,” he says. “Lots of older folks are dying and their collections are flooding the market.”

“Which is good for me, because it makes items more affordable.”

His breadth of knowledge on subjects is astounding for someone his age, and he is well-known in collector circles. Antiques dealers have been known to put items aside for Alex as soon as they see them.

He wants to be an archivist when he graduates from college and is currently considering NYU.

“The last week in January was very stressful for me, because I had both mid-term exams and tryouts for the All-County Orchestra,” he says. “I was somewhat surprised to be named first chair in the cello.”

He moves adeptly between his trains, ashtrays and musical instruments, and displays an encyclopedic knowledge about everything he touches. The sign above the dining room table says it all.

“You don’t have to be the best – You just have to try your best! And don’t be boring.”

John DeSanto is a freelance photojournalist. Find more of his 845LIFE stories, photos and videos at recordonline.com. Reach John at jjdesanto@gmail.com

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.